New Delhi : The Congress, which propped up a minority Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi for 49 days over a year ago, Monday said it was “too dangerous” to vote that party back to power in the assembly elections next month.
Congress general secretary Ajay Maken, heading the grand old party’s electoral fight-back in the capital, accused the AAP of making repeated somersaults during its short-lived rule in Delhi.
Maken released a booklet listing 16 “U-turns” the Congress said former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal made vis-a-vis his own stands on issues in the run-up to the Delhi assembly elections in 2013.
The compilation “49 din ki ulti chaal, Dilli hui behaal, U-turn Kejriwal” is a set of statements and promises that the AAP chief and other leaders made but were found not complying with, Maken, now Delhi Congress poll panel chief, said while addressing media.
Describing AAP leaders as “irresponsible”, he cautioned the electorate against giving the reins of power in the hands of such people.
“These (AAP leaders) are irresponsible leaders… We want to ask the voters of Delhi that would they vote for irresponsible leaders who only talk, do sit-ins, and protest?… It’s too dangerous to give the reins of power to somebody like that,” he said.
Contrary to the AAP’s original stand that saw the Congress as politically untouchable until it formed the government last time, Maken said the AAP supremo had sought people’s opinion before striking a post-poll alliance with the Congress.
Then why did Kejriwal not consult the people before resigning as Delhi chief minister (in Feb 2014), he asked.
Maken alleged that Kejriwal did not even live up to his pledge of keeping low-key security after becoming the chief minister.
“He (Kejriwal) had pledged that he would not keep a car with a red beacon (indicating a person’s VIP status). His own car was not with a red beacon…but he was always flanked by a set of such cars,” he said.